Connecting Teachers
to Technology
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| In This Section |
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The Dos and Don’ts of
Running Your
Own Distance Learning Program
Compiled by Doug Prouty dprouty@cccoe.k12.ca.us
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Do:
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Try to interject the missing human
factor
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Don't:
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Try humor or sarcasm, as humor is
culturally specific and sarcasm is rarely
understood
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Do:
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Include graphics and visual images such
as diagrams to help illustrate lessons and points
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Don't:
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Assume significant bandwidth available to
your students
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Do:
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Encourage discussion &emdash; "no
conversing means no learning"
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Don't:
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Allow passive learners, students must
take on active roles.
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Do:
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Provide adequate training, preparation
and support for the distance learning teacher
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Don't:
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Assume your students have the necessary
skills and tools to use the technology required
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Do:
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Be sensitive to different learning and
communication styles
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Don't:
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Limit the environment to one technology,
use multiple technologies
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Do:
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Build a learning community, encouraging
students to introduce themselves personally
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Don't:
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Assume homogeneous learning styles and
levels of understanding with curriculum and
technology
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Do:
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Realize that the technology you use
influences instructional design
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Don't:
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Choose a technology that is limiting in
its delivery or is too high tech (plugins, etc.)
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Do:
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Start the class by clearly stating ground
rules, guidelines, standards and expectations
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Don't:
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Try to "wing it", prepare well
ahead
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Do:
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Realize that, on average, 30% of distance
learning students drop out
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Don't:
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Assume students are following the course
because they are not asking for help
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Do:
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Design to allow your students to interact
with each other by providing a quad, student lounge, or some
social meeting area
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Don't:
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Allow the class to go "unchecked", keep
course on task with expectations continuously
stated
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Do:
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Make thoughtful comments and responses to
student posts
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Don't:
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Assume this will take less teacher-time
and work than a traditional course
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Do:
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Make the students as comfortable with the
environment as possible
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Don't:
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Run a class or program without
origination and remote site technicians
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Do:
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Personalize student to teacher
communications with attempts to build a supportive
community
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Don't:
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Present a sterile, cold environment with
limited personal interaction
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Do:
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Research similar offerings and
styles
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Don't:
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Jump in without preparation and research
and don't start with too many sites and students
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Remember:
The American Association of Higher
Education
Seven Principles for Good Practice in
Undergraduate Education
- Encourage contacts between student and
faculty
- Develop reciprocity and cooperation among
students
- Use active learning techniques
- Give prompt feedback
- Emphasize time-on-task
- Communicate high expectations
- Respect diverse talents and ways of
learning
Consider these
Student Characteristics Correlated with
Distance Learning Success
- Ranked themselves highly on measures of
persistence related to taking on new projects
- Rated the consequences of not passing as
serious
- Don’t rely on others to complete
different tasks and to discuss course work
- High literacy levels
- Good time management skills and have available
time
References:
Palloff and Pratt, Building Learning Communities
in Cyberspace: Effective Strategies for the Online Classroom 1999,
Jossey-Bass Publishers ISBN 0-7879-4460-2
Cyrs, Teaching and learning at a Distance: What it
Takes to Effectively Design, Deliver, and Evaluate Programs 1997,
Jossey-Bass Publishers, ISBN 0-7879-9884-2
Designing Instruction for Web Based Distance
Learning, WestEd
(Online) http://www.wested.org/tie/dlrn/course
Kessell, Stephen, Postgraduate Courses on the WWW:
Teaching the Teachers and Educating the Professors
The Technology Source &emdash; http://horizon.unc.edu/TS/development/
Information and Insight About Online Education and
Training Prepared by UOL Publishing, Inc.
(Online) http://www.uol.com/webuol/index.cfm
What’s the Difference? A Review of
Contemporary Research on the Effectiveness of Distance Learning in
Higher Education The Institute for Higher Education Policy
(Online) http://www.ihep.com/difference.pdf
Willis, Barry: Strategies for Teaching at a
Distance
(Online) http://www.ihets.org/distance_ed/ipse/fdhandbook/inst_d.html
Barnes & Lowery: Sustaining Two-Way
Interaction and Communication in Distance Learning
(Online) http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/98/mar/398feat2.html
Kubala, Tom: Addressing Student Needs: Teaching on
the Internet
(Online) http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/98/mar/398feat4.html
Bingham, John: Emerging Technologies in Distance
Learning
(Online) http://horizon.unc.edu/projects/issues/papers/Distance_Learning.asp
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